Introduction to Intersectional Qualitative Research, by Jennifer Esposito and Venus Evans-Winters, introduces students and new researchers to the basic aspects of qualitative research including research design, data collection, and analysis, in a way that allows intersectional concerns to be infused throughout the research process. Esposito and Evans-Winters infuse their combined forty years of experience conducting and teaching intersectional qualitative research in this landmark book, the first of its kind to address intersectionality and qualitative research jointly for audiences new to both. The book’s premise is that race and gender matter, and that racism and sexism are institutionalized in all aspects of life, including research. Introduction to Intersectional Qualitative Research makes those identities and structures central to the task of qualitative study.
Each chapter opens with a vignette about a struggling researcher emphasizing that reflecting on your mistakes is an important part of learning. The first chapter introduces qualitative research with a discussion of the history and development of qualitative research, as well as the ways colonization shaped research. The chapters then follow the steps of the qualitative research process, from developing a theoretical framework to addressing ethical concerns, a particularly important chapter given the abuses committed against Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). When students are ready to begin their projects, the book moves to choosing a methodology and constructing good research questions. Only those methods and methodologies that are most compatible with intersectionality are covered in this focused section, including ethnography, narrative inquiry, case study research, and arts-based research, Because students often find data analysis the most challenging part of a study, two chapters cover data analysis in depth. Two final chapters on writing and reflecting on intersectional research close out the process for students. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter help instructors generate dialogue in class or in groups.
Race and gender are such an intricate and integral part of human life they can never be isolated. Introduction to Intersectional Qualitative Research shows the novice researcher how to conduct meaningful research that gives voice to all aspects of the human experience.